Alessandro Marianantoni’s Post

Here's a glimpse into what investors look for in startups and how founders can tailor their pitches for success: ✔Clear Value Proposition: Investors seek startups with a crystal-clear value proposition. Define your unique selling points and how your solution addresses a pressing market need. 💡 ✔Market Understanding: Demonstrate a deep understanding of your target market. Investors want to see that you've conducted thorough market research and know your audience inside out. 🌐 ✔Traction and Milestones: Highlight key milestones and traction achieved. Whether it's user acquisition, partnerships, or revenue growth, these metrics provide tangible evidence of progress. 📈 ✔Team Dynamics: Investors invest in people as much as ideas. Showcase a cohesive and capable team, emphasizing key strengths and experiences that position you for success. 👥 ✔Scalability: Investors are interested in startups with the potential for scalable growth. Illustrate how your business model allows for expansion and scalability in the long run. 📈 ✔Financial Viability: Paint a realistic financial picture. Investors want to see a well-thought-out financial plan that reflects your understanding of costs, revenue streams, and potential ROI. 💰 ✔Exit Strategy: Outline a compelling exit strategy. Investors need to know how and when they can expect returns on their investment. Be strategic and forward-thinking in your approach. 📊 Remember, a successful pitch is not just about the product; it's about the story, the team, and the vision. Tailor your pitch to align with these investor priorities, and you'll be on the right track to securing that crucial investment. 💼✨ #angelinvesting #angelinvestor #angelinvestors #angelinvestment #investing #investor #startup #pitching

📩 Founder-Investor Communications: Strategic Frequencies Yield Tangible Benefits📩 In the startup ecosystem, the cadence of founder updates is a critical component of investor relations. Empirical data reveals a distribution of communication preferences among founders: 🔸 60% of founders strategically opt for monthly updates. This frequency is statistically optimal for synthesizing progress and maintaining a steady stream of investor engagement without overwhelming stakeholders. 🔸 21% of founders deliver weekly updates, allowing for a continuous feedback loop and the agility to adapt strategies in near real-time, enhancing operational responsiveness. 🔸 A focused 3% communicate on a daily basis, providing granular insights and fostering an environment of immediate transparency and investor inclusion. 🔸 16% choose a quarterly update cycle, which can effectively condense strategic milestones and financial trajectories into a comprehensive narrative. The attached image exemplifies a concise yet detailed investor update illustrating the utility of structured communication in investor relations. 📊 The analytical conclusion: regular, well-crafted updates are a conduit for sustained investor confidence, risk mitigation, and collaborative growth. They serve as a barometer of a startup's health and a predictor of its future performance. 👉 Which frequency has transformed your investor relationships the most? #startups #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #investing #finance #crossborder #inovexus #startup #VC #earlystage

THINK LIKE AN INVESTOR If you are part of the start-up world you are or are becoming well aware that it is a high-stakes arena where innovation attempt’s to meet capital. Jazz Ventures, LLC understands the common pitfalls which are crucial for our them to making sound investment decisions.   We work to prepare our clients to meet and impress investors. We know that our investors will carefully evaluate a startup's market potential, financial health, team dynamics, and timing which are all essential to mitigate their risk and increase the chances of a successful investment. Without having these areas in place, investors will discard even the most innovative idea. While the allure of substantial returns is undeniable, the reality is that the vast majority of startups fail. A brilliant idea is worthless without a market that desires them and a plan to reach them (business model). Many founders underestimate the costs associated with launching and scaling business.  One of the keys is to show financial management past and projected future. Without a solid financial plan and a keen eye on expenses, running out of money can be inevitable which begins the constant chase for money taking the founders eye off the ball.  A strong, cohesive team and leadership complementary skills is also essential for navigating the challenges of building a business.  The ability to differentiate your product or service and the timing can be everything. Economic downturns, industry shifts, or the emergence of competing products can all impact a startup's chances of success. By understanding these common pitfalls, founders can better prepare for the potential of their startup and help investors make informed decisions. #Differentiate #BusinessModel #Financials #Navigate Mary MacCarthy, MBA Kathy Vignau, M.A. Thomas Bregmann

An excellent example founder-investor communications, clear, understandable, short, without information noise. Without hiding the problem (well, probably not hiding it). And a beautiful example in this letter is the founder’s care for his employees.

How I Craft Business Plans That Captivate Investors 🚀 In helping startups attract venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) investment, I've cracked the code to prepare business plans that turn heads and open wallets. Here's how: Tailored Strategy: No cookie-cutter templates here! I work closely with founders to understand their unique value proposition, market dynamics, and growth potential, crafting a tailored strategy that resonates with investors. Compelling Narrative: Investors don't just invest in numbers; they invest in stories. Just weave a compelling narrative that showcases your startup's vision, mission, and impact, painting a vivid picture of the future that investors want to be a part of. Data-Driven Insights: From market research to financial projections, leverage the data-driven insights to back up every aspect of your business plan, instilling confidence in investors and mitigating their risk. Strategic Positioning: With a keen eye for market trends and competitive positioning, position your startup as a leader in its space, standing out from the crowd and attracting the attention of top-tier investors. I'm here to support you every step of the way, providing guidance, feedback, and strategic advice to maximize your chances of funding success. Drop me a message to learn more about how I tailor strategies and craft compelling narratives that can help your startup stand out in the crowded funding landscape. Together, we'll turn your vision into reality and secure the investment you need to fuel growth and success. Founders, what's your biggest challenge when crafting business plans for investors? Share below!  💼💡 #StartupFunding #BusinessPlans #venturecapital #privateequity #Entrepreneurship #pitchdeck

Want to know key lessons learned from serial angel investors? 👇 Have a look at WIT Angels Club's post - there are some good ones! Notably, do your homework! Did you know that serious angel investors spend a significant amount of time (double-digit hours) assessing a startup before deciding to invest? The due diligence of an angel investor is just as thorough as that of an early-stage VC fund because there’s more skin in the game when you're investing your own money. 👯♀️ Let's face it: women are very good at due diligence! We approach it differently, often leading to valuable insights: more cautious approach, focus on long-term value, diverse perspectives, and collaborative analysis (German Institute of Economic Research mentioned it in a weekly report back to 2010) 💡 What's your opinion? If interested to have a look at our portfolio of venture investments, let us know! #womeninvestors #innovation #europe

As an angel investor and through my interaction with founders who are planning to raise seed capital, I have seen a few mistakes that founders make in an attempt to impress potential investors: 1. Not understanding the 10-20-30 rule in pitch presentation. You should not take more than 10 minutes. The presentation should not have more than 20 slides. Ensure that the font you use does not surpass 30 pixels 2. Make the presentation customer-centric. It's a paradox that you must show how your product is solving a certain pain on behalf of the customer. But, you must be experienced in making the presentation investor-centric / friendly. 3. Most investors will give you time for a presentation with a mindset of not investing in your startup. They have to convince themselves that what you are presenting is a worthy venture for them to risk their money. You must understand how to speak to their heart and not their mind only 4. Not being honest especially when your startup is a few months old and you are still trying to proof test your solution. Do not exaggerate numbers, valuation, and traction to make a misguided impression 5. Focusing a lot on the physical outlook and branding of your presentation and not on your presentation's problem / solution aspect. Thinking that the beauty of your presentation will translate to an investment is a lack of understanding 6. Relying on statistics / numbers which cannot be independently verified. You could rather not supply such information than provide inaccurate data. Try to hypothesize your solution with your data as per your understanding of what you are trying to build. We will be hosting a session late next week on investors' readiness for prospective startup founders and those seeking to request support from angel investors. This only applies to technology-driven innovations / startups. #AngelInvestors #AngelInvestment #SMEGrowth #VentureCapitals #AfricaRising

🎉 Our Expert Talk - talking about positive EXITs when angel investing and the ingredients for such a journey - was a real success.   What made this session a success is both the engaged audience (30+ active participants sharing a long list of questions), and the valuable insights we received from the 3 speakers.   Precious takeaways from serial angel investors to first-time or future investors in startups:   👉 ‘Be the dream’ – Investors should look for founders who embody their vision, founders with the energy and conviction to bring that vision to life, and ideally, with complementary skills and backgrounds. 👉 Equity story – The equity story can be a dealbreaker. Investors should look for startups that have a strong rationale behind their equity decisions, and founders should demonstrate strong ownership of it. 👉 ROI – The return range (positive EXIT percentage) is the one we know: 2/3 of startups that receive funding either fail or return only the initial investment, while 1/3 offer a generous ROI, balancing the losses and giving investors the opportunity to feel fortunate. 👉 Do the math - With 20 investments, angel investors have a good chance of making one, two, or even three high-returning investments. This should be the size of a portfolio if you are serious about angel investing 👉 Do your homework - At least 80 hours of deep dive assessment before committing to an investment, this is the minimum effort a serious angel investor should commit. 👉 Call a Friend – in case you don’t understand the technology, find an expert to give you their opinion on the competitive advantage of the technology. 👉 Intangible assets – at early stages of development, investors should look for intangible assets (e.g., patents (if applicable) or a competitive advantage that will make the startup stand out from the crowd). 👉 Last, but definitely not least, the startup should address a truly significant pain point!   😍😍 We learned that experiencing a beautiful multiple of your investment feels incredibly rewarding!    👏 Thank you very much Radu Georgescu, Raphaël Boukris and Daniela Aldescu for sharing all these very precious insights with our club!   💡 If you are considering becoming an angel investors, let us know and we will invite you to get an overview of our portfolio’s KPIs. Rux Muys-Stoian Selena Stan Gabriela Mandrea Andreea Saia #womenangelinvestors #innovation #europe

Have you been frustrated at investors? I know I have. After performing due diligence on thousands of startups across major corporate ecosystems and investment groups, there’s one constant frustration that I see over and over again: investment groups don’t know which valuation models they want to use and commit to them, or even worse, they don’t communicate it to the startups in their pipeline. This lack of clarity creates unnecessary confusion. Founders are left guessing which metrics they should focus on or how their startup will be judged. With 20+ models, whether it's the Berkus Method, the VC Method, or even just basic comparable analysis, too often it feels like playing a game without knowing the rules. It shouldn't be like this. Investors: your investment model shouldn't be an industry secret. It's time for more transparency. If you're an investor or part of an investment group, clearly communicate your preferred models to the founders you work with. Startups should understand that like a missing Lego block, "X startup connects with Y model." Whether you care about unit economics, TAM (Total Addressable Market), or founder-market fit, make sure it's known upfront. Time and capital are precious, a simple communication can eliminate a ton of wasted effort and confusion. Help founders engage with your investment thesis and if the model they have doesn't fit your need, intro them to the investment groups that match the opportunity. (P.S. don't get me started on 'panels of judges' who typically only agree to disagree on how startups are screened.) #venturecapital #angelinvesting

 Discover key strategies to overcome the challenges #startups face in #securingcapital, with expert insights aimed at guiding new ventures toward successful funding.